Police investigating death of NJ woman found at base of Shohola Falls

Police are labeling the death of a New Jersey woman whose body was discovered at the base of Shohola Falls Monday morning as suspicious.

Beth Brelje

Police are labeling the death of a New Jersey woman whose body was discovered at the base of Shohola Falls Monday morning as suspicious.

The body of 56-year-old Gail Dews, of Wayne, N.J., was recovered at the base of the 92-foot drop at the gorge at Shohola Falls, according to State Police Public Information Officer Connie Devens.

Devens said family members are being interviewed. No one is in custody at this time.

The body was discovered around 9 a.m. Devens said police do not know when Dews died, but because of where the body was found, the death is being considered suspicious.

A 110-foot ladder truck from Forest Fire Company in Lackawaxen was brought in to help recover the body from the gorge. The truck was based on the bridge with its ladder extended over the gorge. A rope was anchored on the ladder, with half the rope held by nine men and the other half attached to a basket lowered into the gorge.

The body was placed in the basket and then brought up to the bridge.

The recovery was hampered by location of the body.

The National Park Service's High Angle Rescue and Pike County High Angle Rescue teams helped in the recovery. The Pike team has trained in the gorge before.

Michael Donovan, captain of the Pike team, said the recovery was “very difficult” because the walls of the gorge are shaded. Footing was difficult because of loose rocks, ice and moss. The area was described as very slippery.

Photos were taken from the top of the gorge and state police investigators were lowered to the scene with the high angle team members.

Eight to 10 rescue workers were needed to lower each investigator down to the body.

Poconorecord.com earlier today quoted Greeley Fire Chief Jack Longhenry as saying authorities had a man in custody and that the man had walked two miles from the bridge to Mr. B’s convenience story and reported a woman was missing.

However, state police at Blooming Grove this evening said they had no one in custody. Further, it was not immediately clear the source or sources of Longhenry’s information.

Anyone who was in the area of Shohola Falls between 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 8:30 a.m. Monday and who may have information to contact the Pennsylvania State Police in Blooming Grove at (570) 226-5718.